RAISING OF THE DEAD BY ST.

JOHN OF THE CROSS

St. John of the Cross (Feast: Dec. 14) is the Mystical Doctor of the Church, Greatest Lyric Poet of Spain, Founder of the Carmelite Reform together with St. Teresa of Avila. Pope Pius XI calls John's Works as Pure Gospel. Some of which are Ascent of Mt. Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, Spiritual Canticle and Living Flame of Love. Bossuet asserts that his writings possess the same authority in Mystical Theology as the writings of St. Thomas [Aquinas] possess in Dogmatic Theology. __________ Soon after he came to the convent of the Incarnation, one of the nuns, Doa Maria de Yera, fell into a sudden and dangerous illness, and before her danger was

suspected by the nuns, became insensible. They sent for St. John of the Cross to administer the Last Sacraments. But before he entered the monastery the nun was dead, to the extreme grief of her sisters, one of whom, in bitterness of her sorrow, reproached the saint as if he were to be blamed, saying, Is this the way you take care of your children? This one has died without confession. The holy man made no answer, but turned back and went straight to the church, where before the Most Holy Sacrament he poured out his soul, begging humbly for help. After a considerable time the nuns sent him word saying that the sister was restored to life. Whereupon he left the church and on the way met the nun who had spoken to him before. My child, he asked, are you satisfied? He then went to the infirmary, heard the confession of the nun who had been restored to life, and gave her the Last Sacraments. When the saint had done for her all that could be done, God took her to Himself... On 1573, one of the sisters, Beatriz of Jesus, who later became a barefooted nun, went to the parlor of the Incarnation on Trinity Sunday with a message to the

prioress. To her great amazement, she saw St. Teresa raised in the air, where she remained unconscious of the messenger's presence. Sister Beatriz withdrew and called other nuns who became witnesses of the same marvel. On the other side of the grating they discovered St. John of the Cross, also raised above the ground levitating in the same way. The mystery was explained afterwards. The two saints had begun speaking of the Most Blessed Trinity, and had fallen into ecstasy together.

From the book: "Saint John of the Cross", pp. 69-70 by Fr. Paschasius Heriz, O.C.D.